


gentle petals crowd around your eyes

by Counterpunch



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:09:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22052296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Counterpunch/pseuds/Counterpunch
Summary: tumblr prompt 'beat, star, blizzard'or,Two times Anna caught them in trouble, and one time they got themselves out of it before anything happened
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney), Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Elsa & Kristoff (Disney)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 114





	gentle petals crowd around your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics from The Weepies' 'Sunflower'

This whole thing with Kristoff and Elsa was getting out of hand, Anna thought to herself, thinking back almost fondly to those confusing early days after the Thaw.

Sure, she’d understood at first why Elsa might have been a little slow to warm up to him. It’s not like Elsa’d had a ton of experience around people, and there was the whole thing with the last guy she’d brought to the castle trying to kill them and take over their kingdom, but this was totally different! This was Kristoff, with strong arms and hands so gentle, you’d never realize were so rough and calloused. Kristoff, who babbled as awkwardly as her, blushing furiously and looking very much like an embarrassed little boy wanting the earth to swallow him whole. Kristoff, who shared his carrots and carried her across the fjord. Kristoff, who she’s pretty sure couldn’t be cruel or lie if his life depended on it. 

Though Elsa’s iciness over the past thirteen years _had_ been because their lives depended on it, there’s no reason for it anymore and it was the greatest joy of Anna’s life to watch not only the castle but _Elsa_ come alive again after the Thaw. Anna’d always clung to her sister and that didn’t change over the years, even when Elsa seemed to do everything she could to pry and hide herself away. If anything it made Anna an even greater expert in all things Elsa as she soaked up every possible rare moment, drinking deeply from the smallest interactions- anything to hold onto her sister. 

Which is how weeks after the Thaw, when to the untrained eye everything seemed fine, Anna knew that something was still up, and it almost always seemed to happen with or about Kristoff. If Anna mentioned she’d be going out for a stroll with him by the water, Elsa’s shoulder might tense almost imperceptibly. Or if he excused himself after breakfast before morning meetings would start, Elsa’s lips would pinch and she’d take an extra breath before saying goodbye and wishing him a good day. 

As Elsa’s icy behavior continued into the third month, Anna decided she was going to do something about it. Past mistakes continue to haunt her, ( _“I kept_ _pushing_ ”) and even though the question always pressed behind her teeth, Anna bit it back as long as she could, promising herself that she’d never again corner her sister to a breaking point. But then Anna remembered that there are no corners in a circle and she was determined to break the cycle. 

Which is how she’d come to lingering outside Elsa’s door psyching herself up to come inside. For the first time since the Thaw, she was nervous to knock. “Anna,” Elsa had laughed, the sound both lifting and hurting Anna’s heart for what she was about to do. “Come in.” Anna pressed that hurt like a bruise and borrows some warmth from the flame inside and takes a deep breath, trying to ignore how much of a bad idea this could be.

“Elsa, why don’t you like Kristoff?” Anna blurted, trying not to think too hard about how her arms pimpled in the sudden cool air. 

“What?” Elsa sounded like she _hurts._ Anna winced.

The urge to backtrack was automatic. “Well, you know,” she quickly added, twisting her fingers together, “It’s just...been a few months and it just seems like you don’t? Like him, I mean.” 

Elsa opeeds her mouth, but Anna continued in a rapidly loud and hurried tone, as if talking fast could change her sister’s opinion. “I know he isn’t noble and he kind of smells sometimes, but he’s a good person! And he-” 

“Anna, _Anna_ ,” Elsa interrupted as gently as she possibly could, “Please, it’s not that.”

“-If you could just... _tell_ me, maybe we could work on it and-wait, what?”

“He _saved_ you,” Elsa said like it was obvious. “There’s nothing else he needs to be or do to earn my approval.” 

Though her heart fluttered, Anna still stared, puzzled. “Then what is it? Why do you not like him? It seems like you don’t like him.” 

“Anna,” she chuckled and shook her head fondly, as if laughing at an old joke “I don’t dislike him, I’m _jealous_ of him.”

Anna blinked. A beat. “Okay, that’s definitely not what I thought you were gonna say. You’re _jealous_? Of Kristoff?”

Elsa at least had the decency to blush and look a bit chagrined. “Sorry. Has it been that bad?

”Still reeling, it took Anna a moment to realize she hadn’t yet responded. “Um. A little? He has no idea, but…"

“You always knew me better than anyone,” Elsa smiled, sadness barely shadowing fondness.

Anna found she didn’t have much to say to that and decided to pick something easier to talk about. “Elsa, why on earth are you jealous of Kristoff?” Her mouth kept running, worried about what the answer could be. “Was it something we did? Wait, was it something _I_ did? Were we spending too much time together? ‘Cause I just thought you were busy being Queen and all, and didn’t want to bother you-”

“Anna,” Elsa seemed almost horrified, ”You could _never_ bother me.”

Anna’s pretty sure she could make Elsa regret ever saying those words, but that was a challenge for another day. “I could spend more time in the castle-”

“No!” Elsa all but shouted. “Don’t-” she pinches her nose and takes a deep breath. “I’m glad you’re spending time with him. _Out_ side of the castle,” she adds. 

Out of ideas, Anna finally gave up. “So, what is it?”

Elsa made a face and tried to look anywhere but at Anna before groaning and burying her face in her hands. “Ugh, this is going to sound so silly.” 

She didn’t know why Elsa had been keeping this secret, but she knows she doesn’t have to any more. Anna didn’t understand, but it doesn’t mean she can’t try. She places a soft hand on Elsa’s shoulder, giving her sister the space to answer. Elsa shoots her a grateful look, and it warms Anna all the way through her doubts. Her lip barely flickers before the answer finally came.

“You’d think that after all the years I spent alone, being able to do everything would seem like freedom. I love being queen, I do, but sometimes…” she twisted her hands together, “It can be a lot. I wish I could skip meetings or didn’t have to go to _every_ state dinner. Kristoff doesn’t like fancy parties or greeting dignitaries, and I’m jealous because he doesn’t have to.”

God, how could she have been so dense? Of _course_ Elsa didn’t want to be cooped up in the castle after being trapped in it for so long. Of _course_ Elsa, who still got edgy and skittish around people sometimes, didn’t want to be around them all the time. She almost cried with relief that it’s something as easy to fix and small as that. 

“Oh, Elsa, that isn’t silly at all.”  
  
“It isn’t?” The hopeful uncertainty on her sister’s face would be so endearing if it hadn’t also made Anna’s heart clench.

“No, of course not,” she said, pulling Elsa into a hug. Anna sighs with happy relief - most importantly that Elsa doesn’t have a problem with Kristoff, but also that there’s something she can do to help ease her burden. “I have an idea….”

It was simple, really. They divided up certain meetings giving Elsa some breaks in her schedule. In hindsight, the shared responsibility was excellent practice for taking the crown as Anna’d slid into the role of queen easily, but nothing had prepared her for _this_ aspect of ruling. 

Anna cannot be _lieve_ a queen and prince of Arendelle are acting like children and leaving her - her! of _all_ people - to be the mature one in the situation. 

It had been a perfectly pleasant evening, with visiting dignitaries from Zaria bringing some fascinating tales from their homeland (as well as favorable trade agreements and rare sweets), before it was rudely interrupted. She had to excuse herself and hunt down the cause of the ruckus, knowing exactly who was behind it. Anna stormed down the hall, furious. Telltale signs of ice peek out from the door and sure enough the entire floor is a polished mirror of ice. Anna manages to stomp over best she can in heels.

“You know, I have it on good authority that the castle is made of fine Norweigan spruce and therefore less prone to absorption and warping due to water.”

“Thank you, Olaf, but I’m more worried about getting _blood_ out of it at the moment.” Anna says with restrained but evident anger. She glares and Elsa and Kristoff, standing by huge blocks of misshapen ice (is that...half a star?), shifting awkwardly and looking equally guilty. “You wanna tell me what’s going on here?”

“It was my fault-”

“We didn’t mean to-” They both blurt simultaneously. They fumble over each other, attempting to explain, each trying to get ahead of the other.

“Well, you see-”

“A huge piece of ice,” Anna recaps with exasperation what the two of them well already know, “Fell two stories onto the balcony of the party - a party _you two_ are supposed to be at, by the way - and nearly killed Lord Andersen.”

Elsa and Kristoff’s cringes deepen. 

“He’s fine, in case you were wondering. It just grazed his cheek, but now he’s one sideburn short and highly embarrassed. I’ll send a basket of his favorite treats from the bakery to make sure he’s alright and that the lease agreement isn’t in jeopardy. Do you wanna tell me what a huge piece of ice was doing flying out the window?”

“We um-”

“We were having a contest-”

“More like a friendly competition-”

“-A friendly competition that _I_ was winning-”

Anna pinches the bridge of her nose, trying to stave off a headache she knows is coming that Elsa will gently apply a cold compress to later. “An ice competition,” She repeats for confirmation. “With Elsa.”

“Kristoff, Kristoff, Kristoff,” Olaf shakes his head patronizingly, waddling over with a pat to his leg. “Sweet, sweet Kristoff.”

Kristoff’s eyes bounce back and forth from Olaf to Anna, then Elsa, and back again. “Um. Yes?”

“Oh, nothing, I was just commenting on your tender naivete.”

“It was an ice _carving_ contest, okay? Totally different from magical ice figure making. We each had to use the same tools and _no magic_.” He waves the chisel and mallet as proof.

“Uh huh.”

“It’s true,” Elsa admits defeatedly. “Turns out I’m not very good at ice without my magic. It was my fault Lord Anderson almost got hurt. I’m sorry, Anna.”

One look at Elsa’s dejected face and Anna’s anger flies out the window, just like the ice mishap itself. “Oh, Elsa,” she shakes her head, allowing the humor of the situation to surface. Not that long ago it would have been her and Kristoff goofing off while Elsa was busy being queen. “It’s alright, I know it was an accident. Just...maybe no more sculpture competitions during important state events, okay?”

Elsa smiles. “Deal.”

* * *

It hadn’t even been two months later when party disaster number two struck. Luckily no guests were injured or maimed this time. Instead there’d been a muted clatter, a few yelps, and not long after, Kai discreetly whispered in her ear that perhaps she better come down. Anna politely excused herself while the group bowed and curtsied as she left. Honestly, she didn’t know how the people put up with the royal family sometimes.

Nothing she imagined could have prepared her for what she saw.

“It isn’t an ice competition!” Kristoff explains hurriedly when he sees her gaping in the doorway.

“No, it’s a blizzard!” Anna cries, stepping carefully in an attempt to avoid stepping into any of the white powder that dusts seemingly every exposed surface in the kitchens. “Olina is going to _kill_ you.”

“Technically, I think that would be regicide and therefore frowned upon for castle staff.”

“Olaf!” Anna jumps, suddenly realizing what she thought were stray cinnamon sticks is actually the top of a very lumpy snowman covered in sugar.

He shakes it off, spreading another cloud of powder as it falls. “Honestly, I don’t even know what happened. Everything was fine and then all of a sudden, white everywhere! Huh, kinda like when you set off winter that one summer, remember Elsa?”

A sneeze comes from the corner and a pair of very wide eyes blink back. With platinum hair, pale skin, and white dress, her sister blended almost imperceptibly into the now-white backdrop of the kitchen. Anna snickers very un-regally. “Yes, Olaf,” Elsa says dryly, “I remember.”

Honestly, what is she going to do with these disaster twins? Who knew they’d be such bad influences on each other? Anna closes her eyes and takes a grounding deep breath. She probably should have known this was coming. 

“Guys. If the parties get too much, you can just _ask_ to leave. You don’t have to keep making excuses. I know they’re not your favorite, but just because _I_ have to stay for the whole thing doesn’t mean you both have to. I mean Elsa, you did before, and Kristoff, when I was just the princess and we could do our own thing, you still didn’t like them. I get it. No more sneaking out, just _tell_ me so I can cover for you. Oooh, we can even come up with code words!”

Elsa and Kristoff look at each other. He takes a tentative step forward. “Code words?”

“Yeah!” Is it silly to be excited by her own idea? “Like, if one of you says ‘Pineapple’ I know it’s break time.”

“Pineapple.” Elsa raises an eyebrow.

Anna flaps her arms exasperatedly, “It doesn’t have to be pineapple! It can be ‘crochet’ or ‘polka dot’ or ‘powdered sugar’ for all I care. You’ll have plenty of time to choose a word while you two help clean this up. This is way above Olina’s paygrade and I am _not_ getting on her bad side because I love her cloudberry cream cakes and would like to continue eating them in this lifetime.”

“Oooh, her cloudberry cream cakes are _divine_ ,” Olaf sighs wistfully, “They go right through me, though. I think it’s something about the dairy.”

Elsa coughs awkwardly, masking a laugh, while Anna covers her smile with a hand. They share a look of amusement across the room, and for a moment, it feels like they’re kids again, getting into mischief and refusing to let the world tell them what they can and cannot be. 

Then Elsa sneezes again and Anna practically squawks as she tries to avoid powdered sugar getting all over her gown. “Ok, this is way too hazardous a situation for me to be in. You guys fix down here and I’ll cover for you up there, okay?”

“Okay!” Olaf chirps, already sweeping a pile of sugar into the shape of a snowman.

“Thanks,” Kristoff’s body sighs gratefully. Anna doesn’t mind at all, knowing he’ll make it up to her later. She’s more than fine with that.

Elsa stops herself from giving a hug, looking sheepishly down at her powder-covered body. Instead she merely shrugs with the dopiest ‘what can you do?’ look on her face. 

“Grab me one of those pastries for later?” Anna whispers to her as she leaves.

Elsa grins back conspiratorially. “I already did.”

God, she loves her.

* * *

“Another, Your Majesty?”

Elsa smiles politely. “No thank you, Olav. Pass my compliments to Olina, the gravlax is delicious. And please, just ‘Elsa’ now.” 

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Olav bows slightly before weaving back into the party, offering morsels to other lords and ladies. Elsa sighs. It’s the fourth time she’s had to ask him that today.

All in all, it isn’t the worst party Elsa’s been to, though she still frowns at how wasteful and frivolous such social gatherings can be. But then she looks over at Anna, surrounded by a group of people, laughing and practically glowing, and not for the first time that day is overwhelmed by the wonder of her sister.

“Pretty amazing, huh.”

His voice is warm and affectionate. Elsa smiles fondly, “She is.”

Kristoff looks handsome but uncomfortable in the formal suit, and Elsa commiserates, subconsciously twisting her neck against the ghost of high collars. “I dunno how she does this,” 

“Me either.”

“I dunno how _you_ did it.”

Elsa laughs, “Me either.”

“I dunno how _I’m_ doing it,” Kristoff continues, regarding his own misery being stuck in formalwear. “And what do you even _say_ to people? ‘Yes, trade is doing well, m’lord. That’s a very nice hat, m’lady. Could you please stick that fork in my eye, Lord Andersen.’” 

Elsa chuckles. “Pretty sure those were _exactly_ how my conversations went, too. It never got easier, no matter how much practice I got.”

“Gee thanks, that makes me feel better.”

“I’m not necessarily the best test case study for socializing. You’re already doing much better than I ever did.”

“What, you? No way.”

“I practiced. I _learned_. Anna’s a natural.”

Anna has moved from the larger group to greet each guest as she makes her way through the crowd, smiling and connecting with ease. They watch with matched dopey love faces. “That’s our girl.” 

A duchess Elsa recognizes makes eye contact and looks as if she’ll be making her way over as soon as her current conversation is over. Though the woman wasn’t unpleasant, the last thing Elsa wants to do is discuss matters of state through thinly veiled small talk. “Pineapple?” she squeaks, taking a sip of her drink. 

Kristoff looks relieved, as if he’s been trying to hold out as long as possible to not to be the first one to say it. “Pineapple,” he confirms.

“I asked Olaf to pretend there was an emergency in an hour ago. He should be arriving any minute now.”

Kristoff frowns with a faraway look, as if concentrating. “Wait. Is that why he always insisted there was something wrong with his flurry last year?”

Elsa cringes “Guilty,” she grimaces.

“Huh,” Kristoff scratched his cheek. “I always wondered why he always seemed to have a crisis _right_ in the middle of state dinners.” 

Elsa’s saved from further explanation as Kristoff announces, “I’ll go tell her.”

He politely approaches Anna from the side, excusing the interruption with a bow of acknowledgement to the people she’d been talking to before leaning down to whisper in her ear. From across the room, Anna’s eyes meet Elsa’s, and they soften in a knowing smile. She whispers something in Kristoff’s ear and kisses his cheek before he makes his way back.

“Library or courtyard?” Elsa asks. Spring has come early this year, though the weather is still brisk, but she has a feeling perhaps Kristoff would also rather be outside in the cool air instead of in the increasingly hot ballroom.

Before he can answer, their pre-scheduled distraction arrives on bouncy feet. “Hey guys? I’m _pretty_ sure the third floor is haunted.”

Elsa chokes on her drink. 


End file.
